Add some ambiance and some BTU'S

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tjnamtiw

tjnamtiw

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Mar 9, 2009
4,432
North Georgia
www.pensandcalls.com
I have quite a few Dietz lanterns waiting for AHBL day but I find just lighting them in the evening adds a nice glow to otherwise 'normal' room environments. This is one heck of a sale just because 'Dietz' isn't marked on the body. The ones I received were very well packed and not damage was seen. Get a dozen and have 11,000 btu's/hr next winter! Just make sure you use the right oil or you'll clog up the wicks.
(broken link removed to http://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WKL&Product_Code=DHL30&Category_Code=DL&mc_cid=da152e932e&mc_eid=c746c3fe99)
 
I collect and restore lamps for a hobby. I've been doing so, for fifty years. Consequently I've developed some parts and lamp sources. I'm endorsing your choice of vendor here. These that you direct us to here will be well-made because they're sold by Kirkman. I've ordered parts from them and they're a good outfit.

There are a lot of cheap Chinese-made lamps out there and they! are! not! safe!!

Case in point:
I have a Feuerhand Baby and it's a great lamp. Everything you'd expect from good German engineering. Great light output and parts are readily available. The next thing up for more light output is an Embury that I have, but there are places I just don't want to take the Embury in case it gets a knock.

So I was looking for a similar lamp to the Feuerhand Baby but in a larger size and saw (broken link removed to http://www.garrettwade.com/large-hurricane-lamps/p/87A01.06/). The lamp arrived in good condition, and appeared good visually, so I fueled it and took it outside to put it to use. Later in the evening, when I picked up the lamp, I tilted it slightly as I picked it up, and fuel began to pour from the fount where the air tubes are supposed to be soldered in. In this lamp, they were only crimped and not soldered as they should have been, and always are, in all quality lamps.

All it would take to cause a catastrophe is filling the fount full, and tilting the lamp only 3/4 inch off level. I returned the lamp along with a note pointing this out, and they were kind enough to return my money but did not reply to my note.

To end this on a positive note, if you want heat and SERIOUS light output, look into BrytLyt. Here's a link. I have one of their 500CP lanterns and it's phenomenal. It's withstood 8 years of use outside and it's impossible to blow out. Mine's a little rough around the edges from hard use but it still keeps putting out lots of reliable light. They also make cook stove adapters for their lamps, and standalone cook stoves.
 
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Good info, Steamguy! You should point out that Dietz have been made in, I believe, Hong Kong and China since almost day one but they must have some very good quality control over there! I have one really old one that was my grandmother's (I'm 70!). It's one of the hot blast style. I also bought a cheap lantern with the same problems as yours. It's purely decorative now.
 
tjnamtiw said:
Good info, Steamguy! You should point out that Dietz have been made in, I believe, Hong Kong and China since almost day one but they must have some very good quality control over there! I have one really old one that was my grandmother's (I'm 70!). It's one of the hot blast style. I also bought a cheap lantern with the same problems as yours. It's purely decorative now.
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Best place to buy really good quality lamps now is through Lehman's Non-Electric Catalog. They won't sell anything low quality as they have a conscience. There are some things that they don't run in the catalog, but you can call them to order. One example of this is a tall Champion galvanized (not painted) lamp. These are also being made in China, but they are using the original dies and glass molds. Lehman's came through for me - I just put my name in, and the next time they got an order in (took a couple months), they hand-picked one for me! (I just checked: they DO have the tall Champion online.)

I'd been on the hunt for a Champion for years, because they have terrific light output (roughly 12 cp), and don't soot up easily. I gave up on finding an original (not common in my area of the country) and went for the reproduction.

For 'oil', I recommend using regular kerosene; in some of the really valuable old lamps, I use heating-grade kerosene as it contains no stains which will discolor the inside of a valuable old fount. You can find both at the big-box home improvement stores. For some of my old signal lamps which use a heavier fuel, I have been able to buy Jet A, which is essentially a heavier but clean, kerosene.

Fun Facts department: I'd been told by a couple old-timers that the Dietz Blizzard was their knockoff of the Champion, and the Jupiter was their knock-off of the Embury. However, neither has as much light output (due to the inability to infringe on patents) as the original.

I'm working on selling off most of my collection; it's time for 'the next guy' to own and enjoy them.
 
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steamguy said:
Best place to buy really good quality lamps now is through Lehman's Non-Electric Catalog. They won't sell anything low quality as they have a conscience. There are some things that they don't run in the catalog, but you can call them to order. One example of this is a tall Champion galvanized (not painted) lamp. These are also being made in China, but they are using the original dies and glass molds. Lehman's came through for me - I just put my name in, and the next time they got an order in (took a couple months), they hand-picked one for me! (I just checked: they DO have the tall Champion online.)

I'd been on the hunt for a Champion for years, because they have terrific light output (roughly 12 cp), and don't soot up easily. I gave up on finding an original (not common in my area of the country) and went for the reproduction.

For 'oil', I recommend using regular kerosene; in some of the really valuable old lamps, I use heating-grade kerosene as it contains no stains which will discolor the inside of a valuable old fount. You can find both at the big-box home improvement stores. For some of my old signal lamps which use a heavier fuel, I have been able to buy Jet A, which is essentially a heavier but clean, kerosene.

Fun Facts department: I'd been told by a couple old-timers that the Dietz Blizzard was their knockoff of the Champion, and the Jupiter was their knock-off of the Embury. However, neither has as much light output (due to the inability to infringe on patents) as the original.

I'm working on selling off most of my collection; it's time for 'the next guy' to own and enjoy them.
Click to expand...
Never gave jet fuel a thought but, after standing behind a few F4's and B52's, it makes sense! (Although you couldn't prove it by the trails they left! ha ha)
I have a stash of kerosene and some Klean-Heat for use now that doesn't stink and upset the Boss. Also, I've use Medallion Lamp Oil with good success.
 
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